Observers question whether Saudi Arabia is eligible to host 2030 World Expo
Saudi Arabia has come under fire for having killed at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who tried to cross the Yemen-Saudi border since March 2022.Non-government organizations claimed that the systemic abuses of Ethiopians might amount to crimes against humanity if those atrocities were committed as part of a Saudi government policy.In particular, Human Rights Watch disclosed its report on the issue on Aug. 21, contending that Saudi border guards had even used explosive weapons to kill migrants and host others at close range.For the 73-page report, the London-based outfit interviewed a total of 42 people, including 38 Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who attempted to the Yemen-Saudi border over the past 18 months.“Saudi officials are killing hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers in this remote border area out of view of the rest of the world,” Human Rights Watch researcher Nadia Hardman was quoted as saying.“Spending billions buying up professional golf, football clubs, and major entertainment events to improve the Saudi image should not deflect attention from these horrendous crimes.”Some 750,000 Ethiopians stay in Saudi Arabia. Many of them are in the Middle Eastern country for economic reasons. Some escaped from their country due to human rights abuses in Ethiopia during the recent armed conflicts.World Expo competition
Against this backdrop, criticisms have surfaced about whether Saudi Arabia would be eligible to host the 2030 World Expo, the international gathering of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).Currently, Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh strives to host the World Expo in 2030, and the country has pulled out all the stops to hold the global event, which takes place every five years.South Korea’s port city Busan and Italy’s Rome are competing with Riyadh, and the winner will be picked later this year through the votes of 170 BIE member countries.“There are many concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia. At this climate, its is understandable to take issue with the eligibility of the country to hold the World Expo, the event for global peace and cooperation,” Seoul University of Foreign Studies politics professor Son Tae-gyu said.This is not the first time that the eligibility of Saudi Arabia is questioned with regard to the country’s human rights record.Earlier this May, MENA Rights Group sent an official letter to the BIE to exclude the candidacy of Saudi Arabia as a possible host for the 2030 Expo.“We strongly believe the Kingdom’s hosting of entertainment and sports events constitutes whitewashing of the government’s repression and its abysmal human rights record, both past and present,” the Geneva-headquartered entity said.“In particular, we urge you to consider Saudi Arabia’s continued use of the death penalty, its crushing of human rights activism, silencing of women’s rights advocates, and targeting of dissidents beyond its borders, in addition to its draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association.”이 기사를 공유합니다
Tim Kim
(voc200@gmail.com)